A leader of the Latin Kings gang in Holland has agreed to a plea deal in federal court that could land him in prison for more than 20 years.

Eric Ruibal, a regional gang leader elected by the Chicago Latin Kings, signed an agreement approved Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids admitting to one count of conspiracy to engage in racketeering activity and one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.

The racketeering charge includes the use of intimidation, assaults and murders to enhance the reputation and authority of the gang as well as disciplining and punishing members and retaliating against members of other gangs, according to court documents. The punishment is up to 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 and three years of supervised release.

The cocaine-related charge includes activities from about 2006 to 2012. The punishment is five to 40 years in prison and fines up to $5 million.

The Latin Kings, founded around 1993, also trafficked in marijuana, according to the court documents.

Since February of last year, federal indictments were made against 31 people in the Holland area linked to gang activity.

On Sept. 24, Desidario Amaro, another regional leader, was the first to be sentenced in federal court in Grand Rapids. He is serving 33 months in prison and three years of supervised release after that for racketeering and firearms charges, according to court records.

Mario Herrera, a third regional leader according to police, was sentenced Oct. 22 to nine years in prison and three years supervised release after that term for conspiracy to engage in racketeering activity, according to court records.

Rising gang activity led to Holland assigning an extra officer to the West Michigan Enforcement Teamís gang task force in 2008, which typically has three Holland police officers and one Ottawa County Sheriff's Office deputy. In 2010, two officers from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, two U.S. attorneys and at least three WEMET officers began investigating Latin King activity, working closely with sheriff's office deputies and Holland police officers.